An online transactional processing (OLTP) database is a repository of transactional data of an enterprise, typically used by the enterprise to store transactional data in real time. An underlying implementation of an OLTP database may be, for example, a commercially available relational database, such as provided by Oracle Corporation.
Given the importance of transactions to a business, it is desirable that no transactions be “lost.” For example, an OLTP database may be used to track customer support issues for an enterprise (e.g., e-mailed customer support inquiries), and it is desirable that none of the customer support issues be lost. In some environments, a backup of the files of an OLTP database may be maintained. However, this backup is typically stored on a storage medium such as a tape and, in the event of a failure of the OLTP database, the downtime to restore the database from the tape can be unacceptably long. In addition, transactions that were received after the backup was created (including those received while the OLTP database is being restored from the backup) will not be present on the backup storage medium and, thus, will not be present in the restored OLTP database.